


Auspicious Beginnings

by zlabya



Category: xxxHoLic
Genre: Childhood, Crossdressing, Gen, Prequel, doumeki shizuka is an unusual child
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-10
Updated: 2010-01-10
Packaged: 2017-10-06 02:14:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zlabya/pseuds/zlabya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scenes from Doumeki Shizuka's childhood--in particular, his first meeting with a certain witch...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Auspicious Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> I've read Xxxholic only through volume 14, so certain elements may be contradicted by events in chapters that haven't been published in English as of January 2009. Haruka and Yuuko's dream-meeting in vol. 14 indicates this is the first time they've met _in dreams_, not necessarily that they'd never met while Haruka is still alive. I'm assuming Yuuko has been in the Tokyo of Xxxholic's reality for decades.
> 
> Watanuki Kimihiro's existence is implied in this story (DouWata fans may pick up on implied pairing if they squint hard enough; the author certainly does!)
> 
> This work could be considered to be part of my "Education of Doumeki Haruka" universe as there's nothing contradictory

Shizuka was a quiet baby, peering out at the world calmly most of the time and crying only when he was hungry or wet. Then he howled the house down. As he grew, he was shy of others, both adults and other children. He was, however, very attached to his grandfather, toddling after the middle-aged man as he went about his temple duties. Relatives thought Haruka was over-indulgent when he bought five-year-old Shizuka a toy bow and arrows for his birthday. After all, the child was uninterested in most toys and not very strong. But Shizuka surprised everyone with his extraordinary aim with the suction-cupped arrows, especially when he frightened off a neighborhood cat that had been terrorizing him. He was properly punished for that incident and instructed to practice his aim only on the trash bin, which regularly rang with direct hits.

Not long after the incident with the cat, one of Haruka's old friends stopped by the temple to visit. She didn't _look_ old; in fact, she seemed to be young enough to be Haruka's daughter. Her close-fitting black gown, festooned with blue butterflies and silk ribbons, was even more shocking, considering most of the family's visitors were Buddhist priests and conservatively-clad relatives. The neighbors gossiped quietly yet eagerly about possible reasons for the visit.

"Good to see you again," Yuuko smiled, taking the seat Haruka offered and accepting a cup of sake.

"It is good to see you also, Yuuko-san. Ah, here is my grandson." Haruka beckoned to the small child standing in the doorway. "Shizuka-kun, come in and meet Grandfather's friend Ichikawa-san."

Shizuka shuffled in. He was still getting used to the pink-and-white girl's kimono Grandfather had recommended that he wear.

"Hello," Yuuko lightly tilted up the boy's chin with two long fingers, looking into his eyes for a moment. "You are a _very_ interesting little boy, Shizuka-kun."

"What kind of sweets did you bring me?"

"Shizuka-kun, where are your manners?" Haruka scolded. "I am sorry, Yuuko. Most of my friends bring him candies and he's become somewhat greedy."

Yuuko chuckled. "I think I may have something in my bag."

"Nothing liquor-filled, please."

"I wouldn't give those away if I had any." Yuuko held up a brilliantly-wrapped candy. "Shizuka-kun, this is for you. But I need something from you in return."

"What?"

"Let me see your hands."

"They're clean." Shizuka insisted but nonetheless held his hands out, palms up.

Yuuko traced a line or two, and then looked into the child's amber eyes again. "Thank you. Now you may have the candy." She unwrapped it and placed the sweet in the boy's hands. He promptly popped it into his mouth.

Yuuko caught her host's inquiring look. "No, it's not something from my treasure room. And it won't give him a stomachache, either."

"Thank you." Haruka let out a sigh of relief.

"He's certainly an unusual child."

"Not surprising, considering our family line." Haruka took a puff of his cigarette. "I can't tell whether he has the full gift, though. This temple is regularly visited by spirits, of course. They keep their distance from him, but he doesn't seem to notice them at all. I was fending them off almost weekly when I was only a few years older than Shizuka."

"He does have the exorcism gift." Yuuko assured him. "In fact, it seems quite strong. It's simply that he has only half of your gift; he can repel spirits but he can't sense them any more than a normal human can.

"What are we to do then? My son hasn't any supernatural gifts at all, and no other exorcists have been drawn here. I want to ensure that we have an exorcist to carry on when I am gone."

Yuuko sipped her sake. "Shizuka-kun is missing his other half. Somewhere in this world is someone who's highly sensitive--and attractive--to the supernatural presences but can't repel them.

"I pity that person. There are some frightening spirits out in the world, and to be without defenses..."

"Have no fear. The two will meet eventually. It's hitsuzen."


End file.
